Many of the clients we here at Technica Editorial currently work alongside are, in the grand scheme, smaller publishers, including societies and university presses. One fear of Plan S is that smaller outfits will have a difficult time with compliance, especially those in the humanities and social sciences. We are always looking for ways we can serve our clients, potential clients, and the industry as a whole. Even though the start date has now been pushed back one year to January 1, 2021, Plan S continues to evolve (the most recent, and potentially final, version was released May 31, 2019). We are keeping an eye out for what this may mean for our clients. Here are several steps Technica Editorial is taking to ensure employees are prepared for Plan S:
1) Attend local and annual meetings: Several employees attended the Society of Scholarly Publishing local meeting in Durham, NC, entitled “Planning for Plan S.” The speakers included:
- Allison Belan, Associate Director for Digital Strategy and Systems, Duke University Press
- William B. Coleman, Executive Officer, American Society for Investigative Pathology
- Micah Vandegrift, Open Knowledge Librarian, North Carolina State University
- Dr. Gregory P. Copenhaver, Professor, Department of Biology, UNC Chapel Hill; Distinguished Adjunct Professor, Fudan University; Editor-in-Chief, PLOS Genetics
There are many benefits and potential drawbacks to the plan as currently laid out. We found this meeting to be an enlightening and engaging conversation among professionals with different levels of agreement with the points laid out in Plan S.
A handful of employees were also present for the 2019 annual Association of University Presses meeting in Detroit. This was a great time for learning how the world of university presses is process Plan S and ways we can assist. Sessions such as “Ripples Across the Pond”: Policy and Funding Environments for OA Books Across the Atlantic and Implications for University Presses” and “OA Barriers to Entry” provided great insight.
2) Educate employees: In-house employees were also given the opportunity to listen in to HighWire’s webinar, entitled: “What leading publishers believe are the best options for Plan S,” which accompanied their recently published white paper. In addition, a recap of the Plan S initiative and how it is and will continue to affect the publishing industry was presented to all employees, alongside an opportunity to ask any questions or express any concerns they may have. We also continue to provide them with updates on the plan’s progression. One of the most helpful we’ve found is this continually updated list of FAQs presented by Scholastica.
3) Explore cost-effective compliance paths: In the past, Technica has helped many individual publications transition to a peer review platform that fits their budget and needs and would capture the data needed for Plan S compliance. In the past few months, Technica has continued to familiarize itself with different platforms, even some still in the building process, so that we have a clear picture of the many options out there. We hope to help guide other small publishers to a platform that works for them.
Whichever way the open access debate unfolds, we here at Technica look forward to adapting to the changing needs of our clients. If you have any concerns with your society or publication’s Plan S compliance, reach out to us!
